Page 166 - How To Implement Lean Manufacturing

144 Cha pte r Ei g h t

The Ten Reasons Lean Initiatives Fail
These ten reasons listed in the evaluation in Chap. 19 were developed from actual data
I have accumulated over the years, and I include them here for your reference and use.
I suggest you go through this list with your sensei and address each for your situation.
Take notes and develop action items.

Process Maturity
The Process Maturity document is included so you might analyze the issues with your
processes with more specificity. It is a refinement of the first of the five precursors: high
levels of stability and quality in both the product and the processes (it contains more
specific auditing criteria). The vitality of your initiative will be highly dependent upon
your ability to improve your processes. This document is designed for just that purpose.

Document the System Evaluation in the Plan
These four evaluations have given you a rather large group of action items that will
generally fall into one of three categories.

• System action items
• Educational and training action items
• Line-specific action items

What Is Next?
In about two minutes we will do a more thorough educational evaluation and a series
of value stream evaluations. This will add considerably to your list of action items.
These action items now form the nucleus of your implementation plan. As you recall, it
is simply a project—something we engineers are good at accomplishing. To execute this
project, the first and most important tool is, guess what? The plan—the first of the req-
uisite tools of a leader. Your Lean implementation plan will normally be expressed in
the form of a Gantt chart. I normally use MS Project. It works nicely, but I am sure others
out there are equally good.
You can now start your Gantt chart. Fill in the System, Educational, and Line by
Line Action items you have from the System evaluation.

Step 3: Perform an Educational Evaluation

Formally Introducing the Issue
A formal introduction is often a key to getting started well. Remember, the second req-
uisite skill of leadership—the ability to articulate the plan so all can understand it. It is
worthwhile to tell the entire facility, “We are going to make a change and that change is
to implement the concept of Lean manufacturing.”
Many facilities make this a monster effort, with special invitations, a formalized
meeting attended by all the top management, coupled with meals and motivational
speakers galore. I find this degree of effort is not needed. In the end, the most important
aspect of selling the issue of changing to Lean is dependent upon the continued actions
of the Lean leaders and top management. If they talk Lean and do not walk the talk, no
amount of up-front selling will work. On the other hand, if the Lean leaders and top